The opening of Pune’s 23.2-kilometre Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 remains uncertain after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Baramati was postponed, removing the occasion on which the inauguration was expected to take place. No official confirmation has been issued for a new inauguration date.
The Prime Minister’s Baramati visit had been planned for 3 November. The programme was expected to include the inauguration of the Metro line, which connects the Hinjewadi information technology hub with Shivajinagar. The postponement has left daily commuters and other prospective passengers waiting for clarity on when passenger services will begin.
The report by Sakal – Pune said 16 November was being discussed as a possible new date, but stressed that neither the revised Baramati visit nor the Metro inauguration had been officially confirmed. The information about the postponement of the visit was provided by Yugendra Pawar, a trustee of Vidya Pratishthan, where the Prime Minister was scheduled to inaugurate an installation called Preranastthal.
The Metro corridor has been developed as an elevated 23.2-kilometre route through a public-private partnership. It is intended to provide a direct connection between Hinjewadi’s major employment district and Shivajinagar, an important central Pune location. The route is expected to reduce travel time for information technology employees and ease congestion in the surrounding areas once passenger operations begin.
Operational preparations are continuing on the corridor. More than 10 trial runs are reportedly being conducted each day to examine train timings, the duration of halts at individual stations and the time required to complete the full journey. The report said work at all 17 stations had been completed and that 20 Metro coaches were available for the service.
Around 90 drivers were also reported to be ready for deployment. However, trial operations do not by themselves permit the start of passenger services. The corridor still requires the necessary safety approval and completion of operational preparations before commuters can be carried officially.
The uncertainty over the inauguration date therefore concerns more than the ceremonial launch. Until the safety clearance and operational readiness process are completed, passengers cannot rely on the proposed dates for the start of services. The route’s eventual opening will determine when commuters travelling between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar can begin using the new connection.
For now, the next confirmed milestone is the announcement of an official inauguration schedule and the completion of the required safety approvals. The 16 November date remains only a possibility in the absence of formal confirmation.
